Today is the day that we honor the great cycle of the seasons known as the Autumnal Equinox. It is a time when there is a balance between the light and the dark. A time to reap the rewards of the long growing season, and of course a time to honor the Gods and Goddesses who have provided such a wonderful bounty of foods. It is a time to think back not only on what has been but also a time to plan for what is yet to come. It is a time for family and friends, and a wonderful time to become closer to the Gods, Goddesses, and land wights.

We in the modern world have lost the importance of the harvest, and the hardships of an upcoming winter. We no longer have to worry about turning wheat into flour, turning flour into dough, and then baking that into bread. Of course this can still be done, but in a modern world of mass production 99. 9 % of the population simply goes down to their local store and purchases these staples. We also have in these modern times a greater range of foods to choose from, some of which literally come from the four corners of our world.

We also do not have to be as concerned about disease in the winter months as our ancestors were. There are seldom outbreaks of such things as deadly influenza, whooping cough, polio, measles, mumps etc.... which could kill in ancient times. In our modern world if you do contract such diseases there are drugs that can save the individual affected. ( In many cases children ). Also in a modern world there is not a great possibility of freezing to death, or frostbite, under normal conditions.

Today as we honor the Gods and Goddesses of our ancestors, ( and ours of course ), let us remember those who in ancient times had far less than we have in a modern industrialized world. Let us raise our horns in honor not only to the Gods of our faith, but those who struggled, battled if you will, against all of the things that we no longer have to be concerned with in this modern age. We think of ourselves as a stronger people, but in reality we are simply a more knowledgeable people. Our ancestors were much stronger than we are these days. Remember their struggles allowed our generations to exist !